Günther Weisenborn
Günther Weisenborn was a notable German playwright and writer, born on July 10, 1902, in Velbert, Germany. Initially pursuing a medical degree at the University of Bonn, he shifted his focus to writing and made his debut in the theatrical world in 1924. Weisenborn gained recognition with his play "Amerikanische Tragödie der sechs Matrosen von S4," which was performed in Berlin in 1928. His career took a challenging turn with the rise of the Nazis, leading to censorship of his works and his eventual arrest in 1942 for his involvement with the resistance group Die Rote Kapelle.
Despite this, he survived imprisonment and returned to Berlin, where his play "Die Illegalen," focusing on German resistance, became well-known. Although Weisenborn experienced a decline in public interest in his later years, he initially enjoyed acclaim for his skillful storytelling and character development. His contributions to theater and literature made him a significant figure in the German cultural landscape, though his legacy has been overshadowed over time. Weisenborn passed away on March 26, 1969, leaving behind a complex body of work that reflects his commitment to socialism and pacifism amidst the tumultuous backdrop of 20th-century Europe.
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Günther Weisenborn
Playwright
- Born: July 10, 1902
- Birthplace: Velbert, Germany
- Died: March 26, 1969
- Place of death: Berlin, Germany
Biography
Günther Weisenborn was born in Velbert in the Rhineland area of Germany on July 10, 1902. He went to high school in Cologne, graduating in 1922. Although he enrolled at the University of Bonn as a medical student, his real interest was in becoming a playwright. In 1924, his first play was presented as a dramatic reading. However, with the success of his second dramatic work, Amerikanische Tragödie der sechs Matrosen von S4, produced in Berlin in 1928 and then in three other cities, Weisenborn decided to move to Berlin and commit himself to full-time work as a writer and to the advancement of socialism and pacifism.
After a brief stay in Argentina, where for a time he delivered mail on horseback, Weisenborn returned to Berlin. One of his plays, Die Arbeiter von Jersey, was produced in Coburg in 1931. Meanwhile, he was collaborating with the German Communist playwright Bertolt Brecht on Die Mutter, an adaptation of Mut, a play by the Russian writer Maxim Gorky about the Russian Revolution.
After the Nazis came to power, one of Weisenborn’s plays was banned and one of his novels was burned. In order to get his works performed and published, he began using the pseudonym Christian Munk. Weisenborn spent two years in New York, working as a newspaper reporter, but in 1937 he returned to Berlin and began working with the resistance group Die Rote Kapelle. At the same time, he worked as a radio script writer and pretended to be a loyal servant of the German state.
At first, Weisenborn seemed secure. One of his novels, Das Mädchen von Fanö, was made into a popular film and his play Die Neuberin, the story of the actress Friederike Caroline Neuber, ran for some 250 performances. However, Weisenborn and his wife were arrested in 1942; unlike most of his friends, he was not executed but instead was sentenced to forced labor. After he was liberated, Weisenborn returned to Berlin. In 1946, his play Die Illegalen was performed. This story of a German resistance group was his best-known work, though many critics believed that his autobiographical novel, Memorial, in which he describes his imprisonment, represented his highest achievement.
Weisenborn remained popular during the early 1950’s. His plays were produced throughout Europe, and he was also asked to write radio scripts and screenplays. When he saw that people were losing interest in the subject of fascism, he ventured into science fiction, producing the comedy Zwei Engel steigen aus. However, after 1956 very few of Weisenborn’s plays were performed and he no longer seemed able to please the public.
After his death on March 26, 1969, Weisenborn was remembered primarily as a member of the German resistance. It was largely forgotten that he was once recognized as a master of his craft. In his works, one can still see the skill in plotting, creating convincing characters, and subtly exploring complex issues that once made him so popular. Whatever the reasons for his later neglect, it should be remembered that Weisenborn was one of the major playwrights of his era.